Gail Cotta, 88, passed peacefully surrounded by her family on March 24, 2024.
Gail was born in Newport, RI on August 9, 1935 to the late Lucy M (George) and Jack C. Brownell. She had one sister, the late Joan Ferreira. She was married on November 24, 1956 to her high school sweetheart, Ray Cotta.
She graduated from Rogers High School in 1953 and went on to nursing school, graduating as an RN, from Roger Williams General Hospital Nursing School in 1956. She worked at Newport Hospital for a short time before starting her family. She returned to nursing in 1974 and worked at the Grand Islander Health Care center until her retirement in 1997.
Her loves were her home, family, gardening, sewing, cooking (she was known for her toll-house cookies), coffee with her sister and friends. She was a communicant of St. Barnabas church and served on the Women’s Guild. She and Ray were avid square dancers for many years, dancing and hooting it up with the Town Howlers, often traveling to many conventions and cruises around the world.
She is survived by her husband, Ray Cotta, her daughters Susan (the late Kate Grana), Sharon Eller (Bob), Pam Voss (Kevin) and Kristin Pendleton, 6 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Please join us to celebrate her life. Visiting hours will be Wednesday, March 27 from 4-7 pm at the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Rd, Portsmouth, and a funeral service on Thursday, March 28th at 2:00 pm at St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Road, Portsmouth. Burial will be private.
She said “Please give me flowers while I’m alive, not when I’m gone” In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital https://www.stjude.org/give.html
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